Grade A Productions

Brandon George Dickinson (born July 18, 1994), better known by his stage name Lil Bibby, is an American rapper, singer, record executive. Beginning his career in 2011, Bibby released his debut mixtape, ''Free Crack'' in 2013. It was followed by two sequels—''Free Crack 2'' (2014) and '' Free Crack 3'' (2015)—until he signed with Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records, an imprint of RCA Records; however, he released no studio albums under the label.

By 2017, he founded and shifted focus onto expanding his record label, Grade A Productions. The label has signed commercially successful acts such as fellow Chicago native, late rapper and singer Juice Wrld, as well as Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi.

Career

2011–2013: Career beginnings and debut mixtape

In 2013, Lil Bibby released his debut mixtape, ''Free Crack''. ''Vice'' stated that the mixtape was apparent in both rappers' influences. The mixtape features guest appearances from fellow Chicagoans Lil Herb and King L, while production was handled by Hit-Boy, Young Chop and The Olympicks, among others. DJ Scream hosted this mixtape. The tape combines his distinctive gruff and imposing voice, along with a solid delivery and flow. Music videos were released for the songs "How We Move" (featuring King L), "Change", "Water" and "Tired of Talkin'".

2013–2015: 2014's Freshman Class, ''Free Crack 2'' and ''Free Crack 3''

In December 2013, in an interview with '' XXL'', Bibby hinted that the next step for his career could be an EP. In 2014, it was also stated, that the rapper Drake was a huge fan of Bibby and that they'd spoken in 2013, before the release of Bibby's debut mixtape. Bibby said it pushed him onto improve his debut release, adding the tracks "Water" and "Whole Crew".

In January 2014, Bibby appeared on Sway's radio show Sway in the Morning. On the show he spoke about the success of his debut mixtape, and also dropped a live freestyle. During the same month, Bibby also featured on New York's radio station, Hot 97. During the same month, Bibby stated in his interview with ''Billboard'', that he was working on material for an EP, but was waiting on a couple of features. Bibby also appeared on the list of 2014's '' XXL'' Freshman Class. He was the last person selected to the list, due to Young Thug's last minute cancellation.

In August 2014, he guest featured alongside Young Thug and Nicki Minaj on Juicy J's single "Low," and was later featured on the remix of Kid Ink's "Main Chick." After a few delays, Bibby's sophomore mixtape, ''Free Crack 2,'' was released on August 29, 2014. Hosted by DJ Drama, includes guest appearances from Lil Herb, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, Kevin Gates, Jadakiss and Anthony Hamilton, among others. The mixtape has production from Juicy J, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Sonny Digital and DJ Pain 1, among others. It was released for free digital download and rapidly accumulated over 120,000 downloads.

''Free Crack 2'' was received with critical acclaim. XXL magazine awarded the mixtape an XL, praising the mixtape's authenticity, catchy hooks and production, while also commenting that the mixtape showcases Bibby's "growth as an artist." RedEye awarded the mixtape three stars out of four, commenting on the tape's maturity and versatility and praising the ability of the song 'Dead or in Prison' to let Bibby's "emotion and natural charisma do the heavy lifting." BET gave the mixtape a positive review, awarding it five stars while commenting on its "new level of depth and introspection, detailing the difficult balance of fame and authenticity and how that effects everyday life in some of America's urban war zones."

In 2015, Lil Bibby received his high school diploma. Initially, he had opted for a GED and after completing the necessary coursework (with straight A's), he decided to re-enroll in high school. His alma mater was from Chicago's Liberty High School. A year later, after several universities had offered him scholarships, Bibby considered studying Computer Engineering at a university, although he ultimately decided against this.

2015–2016: ''FC3 the Epilogue'' & ''Free Crack 4''

In 2015, Bibby released two singles "Ridah" and "Aww Man" (featuring Future) for an upcoming album, supposedly the fourth installment in his ''Free Crack'' series. Both singles failed to reach any domestic charts. In late 2016, Bibby released "Thought It Was A Drought", which was produced by DJ L Beats and Roberto Mario. After a long period without any releases, in early 2018, Bibby began using the hashtag "Free Bibby" on social media, protesting his label's refusal to allow him to release the project.

2017–present: Grade A Productions, Juice Wrld, and The Kid Laroi

In 2017, Bibby and his brother George "G-Money" launched the record label Grade A Productions. In an interview with XXL, Bibby discussed his transition from being a rapper to starting a record label:

That same year, the two discovered then-upcoming fellow Chicago rapper Juice Wrld, after hearing his song "Lucid Dreams". Under the label, Juice Wrld released his debut studio album ''Goodbye and Good Riddance'' on May 23, 2018, which included the hit singles "All Girls Are the Same", the aforementioned "Lucid Dreams", and "Lean Wit Me". In March 2019, Juice Wrld released his second studio album ''Death Race for Love'', which included two hit singles: "Robbery" and "Hear Me Calling".

In 2019, Bibby discovered upcoming Australian rapper and singer The Kid Laroi, after hearing his song "Blessings" from his debut EP ''14 With A Dream''. In March of that year, Bibby signed Laroi to Grade A. Under the label, Laroi released his debut mixtape ''F*CK LOVE'' in July 2020, spawning two singles: " Go" featuring labelmate Juice Wrld (a posthumous verse due to his death in December 2019), and " TELL ME WHY". On November 6, Laroi released a deluxe edition of ''F*ck Love'' titled '' F*ck Love (Savage)'' which was followed by the single "SO DONE".

On December 8, 2019, Juice Wrld suffered from an overdose at an airport in Chicago which led to his unexpected death. On January 22, 2020, Grade A announced that posthumous projects from Juice Wrld will be released to honor his legacy. His first posthumous album '' Legends Never Die'' was released in July of that year, which contained six singles " Righteous", "Tell Me U Luv Me" featuring Trippie Redd, "Life's A Mess" featuring Halsey, " Come and Go" featuring Marshmello, "Wishing Well", and "Smile" featuring The Weeknd. and on December 2021, it was followed up with his second posthumous album ''Fighting Demons''. Throughout 2020, other posthumous releases from the artist included, "Real Shit" with Benny Blanco, " Reminds Me Of You" with The Kid Laroi and " Bad Boy" with Young Thug in 2021.

On May 27, 2021, Bibby announced Juice Wrld's third posthumous album, '' The Party Never Ends''. On September 9, 2024, it was officially announced, with ''The Pre-Party'' EP. ''The Pre-Party'' consists of two songs, with an extended version of the EP, ''The Pre-Party (Extended)'', releasing on October 14, 2024. The album's supposed lead single, "Lace It" (with Benny Blanco and Eminem) was released in December 2023.

On November 29, 2024, after several delays, Grade A released Juice Wrld's fifth and final album, '' The Party Never Ends''. Bibby crafted the album to give the listener the illusion that they were present at a Juice Wrld concert, interspersing the tracks with footage and audio from previous Juice Wrld concerts. A deluxe version of the album is set to arrive in the following months. A website on which supporters could vote for the songs that are going to release on the deluxe was also set up.

Grade A Productions

Grade A Productions is a record label founded by Lil Bibby in 2017.

Roster

Discography

Personal life

In December 2022, Dickinson acquired an ultra-modern home in Los Angeles for US$7.9 million.

Discography

Extended plays

Mixtapes

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Guest appearances

Filmography

References

External links

Lil Bibby Mixtapes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lil Bibby
1994 births
Living people
African-American male rappers
21st-century American male rappers
Almighty Black P. Stone Nation
Rappers from Chicago
Midwest hip-hop musicians
American drill musicians
American trap musicians
Gangsta rappers
21st-century American rappers
RCA Records artists
21st-century American male musicians